Improvement in car-couplings



G. AHRENBEGK. Gar-Coupling.

No. 217,763. Patented July 22,1879.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR; I W M 7 Mud {MW WQ fig ATTORNEYS. j

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES AHRENBEOK,

OF NAVASOTA, TEXAS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-COUPLINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 217,763, dated July 22,1879 application filed May 3, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHAnLns AHRENBEOK, of Navasota, in the county ofGrimes and State of Texas, have invented a new and ImprovedOar-Ooupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which-Figure l is an end view of a car provided with devices for raising andlowering the coupling-pin.- Fig. 2 is an end View of a car provided withdevices for adjusting the link. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinalsection of the form of draw-bar shown in Fig. 2.

My invention is an improved car-coupling designed to obviate thenecessity and its attendant danger of going between the cars.

The improvement consists in the particular means applied to an ordinarydraw-bar for holding and centralizing the ordinary form of link, andelevating the same so as to enter the opposite draw-bar.

I In the drawings, A represents one end of a car, which is fitted withdevices for operating the link, and B represents the adjacent end ofanother car, which is fitted with devices for operating thecoupling-pin.

For operating the link 0, the draw-head D is made hollow and providedwith a spiral spring, a, upon the front end of which is arranged aconical link-seat, b. This spring and link-seat tend to render the linkyielding, and serve to guide and centralize the same in its recedingmovement when it strikes the opposite draw-head. The said spring andseat also, by holding the link pressed forward against thecoupling-pin'c, tend to hold the said link in a more or less horizontalposition.

For adjusting the link to any definite position for entrance into ahigher or lower draw-head, as well as for steadying the same when thedraw-heads are of equal height, I arrange inside of the draw-head, andin the rear of its striking-face, and just in front of the coupling-pin,a cross-head, (I, attached to a pin, 0, which latter extends through ahole in the bottom of the draw-head, and is attached to the forward endof a spring, j, which spring is permanently fastened to the bottom ofthe draw-head, and whose tension serves always to hold the cross-head (Zdown closely against the bottom of the draw-head. To prevent derangementto this cross-head a depression or seat may be formed in the taperingbottom wall of the draw-head, into which the cross-head may seat itselfand be out of the way. Now, by raising this cross-head, it will be seenthat it strikes against the under side of the link and raises it to anydesired adjustment.

. It will be seen that there is peculiar merit in arranging thiscross-head or link-lifter, as shown, for the reason that, being in therear of the striking-faces of the draw-head, it cannot become derangedby the impact of the cars, and as its sup mrting-pin passes through ahole in the bottom of the draw-head the said cross-head is perfectlyguided in its vertical movement.

For giving the desired motion to this crosshead, horizontal levers D Dare pivoted, one upon one side of the car and the other upon the otherside, with their inner ends beneath the spring f, and their handlesprojecting outwardly. By depressing these handles, it will be seen thatthe spring and attached crosshead are raised from either side of thecar, and the link adjusted for entrance into the adjacent draw-headwithout the necessity of going between the cars.

For operating the devices from the top, as may be necessary in box-cars,a lift-rod, E, is extended from the inner ends of one of the levers D upto the upper level of the car and provided with suitable hand-holds.

For operating the coupling-pin, levers F F, corresponding to levers D D,are pivoted to the other car, and a corresponding liftrod, G, made toextend to the top of the car, the inner ends of the lovers beingcontrolled in their Vertical movement by a suitable guide, H.

I do not claim, broadly, a lifting device for the link located insidethe cross-head; nor do I claim, broadly, the combination, with a set ofcoupling devices, of levers extending transversely from the draw-head toeach side of the car, as these have been before used. I do not know,however, that a cross-head, d, has

ever been mounted upon a pin resting upon D D, resting loosely beneathsaid spring, all a spring, and combined with levers D D, restcombinedsubstai'itially as and for the purpose ing loosely beneath said spring,for operating described.

said lifting device. Hence *1 Having thus described my invention, \vhatCHARLES AHRENBDbK' I claim as new is Witnesses:

The cross-head (I, mounted upon pin 6, the OHAs. H. ELINGER, spring f,sustaining said pin, and the levers HUGH H. WILSON.

